Shelter Dogs by Peg Kehret

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    Z ORRO , A GREAT DANE /mixed breed dog, was eight weeks old when he first came to the Humane Society. His original owner “couldn’t find homes for all the puppies.”
    Like most puppies, Zorro was lively and lovable. Unlike most puppies, he had kennel cough and had to be confined to the medical ward until he recovered and could be put up for adoption.
    Jet black, with white paws, chest, and throat and a bit of white at the tip of his tail, Zorro was a long-legged beauty. As he lost his cute puppy look, it was clear to even the most inexperienced dog person that he was going to be a mighty big dog. He had huge paws and soon weighed forty pounds.
    When he recovered, he was moved to the adoption building, which has individual kennels down both sides of a wide walkway. Whenever visitors arrived, Zorro leaped eagerly against the front of the wire kennel, his long tail waving wildly. Nobody wanted to adopt such a big and rowdy dog.
    Weeks went by, Zorro grew and grew, and no one chose him. Finally, when he had been at the shelter for three months, he was adopted by a family who said they wanted a big dog and were prepared to give him the care he needed. Zorro galloped away from the kennel, tugging on his leash, his tail flapping like a windshield wiper.
    His happiness did not last long. Seven months later, the family returned him to the Humane Society. They said they didn’t have time to exercise him, so they kept him shut in the house. Bored and restless, Zorro had begun to chew on the furniture. The family did not want a destructive dog.
    By then, Zorro weighed seventy pounds, and his head reached the countertop at the adoption center. His energy level matched his size, and since he had never been taught any manners, he was now extremely hard to handle.
    Of course, no one knows for sure what went through Zorro’s mind as he was brought back to the Humane Society where he had already spent so much time. But he must have wondered why he was again left alone in a kennel.
    Each dog who awaits adoption at the Humane Society has paperwork attached to the kennel telling his history. Every attempt is made to be honest about any problems. For example, the history might say “Does not get along with cats” or “Needs continuing treatment for ear mites.” This information helps potential adopters as they try to choose a dog that will fit their lifestyle.
    Now that Zorro was in the shelter a second time, his paperwork showed that he was a “returned” dog who had not worked out with his first adopting family. The paperwork also said that Zorro did not know how to obey and was known to chew—problems that would need to be corrected.
    At the age of one year, Zorro, through no fault of his own, had four strikes against him: his size, his history of a failed adoption, his lack of training, and his chewing. Still, the staff hoped that some loving person would give Zorro a second chance.
    Weeks passed.
    No one took Zorro.
    That summer, the Humane Society put on a three-week day camp for youth from troubled families. During the camp, volunteer coaches helped these young people take shelter dogs through a dog obedience class.
    A Seattle woman, Megan Stanfel, offered to be a coach. Her group of campers chose to work with Zorro.
    Every day for three weeks, Megan’s young helpers exercised Zorro and cleaned up after him. They groomed him, brushing his black coat until it shone. They taught him to sit and stay. They decorated a special collar for him.
    Zorro thrived under this attention, and he learned each lesson quickly. He no longer jumped on visitors. He knew how to walk properly on a leash.
    Although Zorro was the largest dog in camp, he was never aggressive toward the other dogs or to any of the people in the program. The campers nicknamed him “the Gentle Giant.”
    Megan and her young workers knew that they were helping Zorro become more adoptable. They groomed him especially well on